To go to Nara Deer Park, you can take a train from Osaka or Kyoto to Nara. Nara is a small city located about an hour south of Kyoto and about an hour and a half east of Osaka. The park is located in the center of Nara and is easily accessible from the city’s main train station.
Here are the top 20 best things to do in Nara:
- Feed the deer at Nara Deer Park
- Visit Todai-ji Temple and see the Great Buddha
- Explore Kasuga-taisha Shrine and its thousands of stone lanterns
- Visit Kofuku-ji Temple and its famous five-story pagoda
- Explore Nara Park and see the hundreds of free-roaming deer
- Visit the Nara National Museum to see Japan’s largest collection of Buddhist art
- Walk along the Nara Walk, a shopping street lined with traditional Japanese stores
- Take a stroll through the Nara Prefectural Cultural Properties Gardens
- Visit the Nara Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center to see local crafts being made
- Take a boat ride along the Yamato-gawa River
- Visit the Kasugano International House to see a traditional Japanese garden
- Explore the Nara Prefectural Kashihara Archaeological Museum
- Visit the Nara Prefectural Library to see its collection of rare books and manuscripts
- Take a tour of the Nara Prefectural Government Office to see the local government in action
- Visit the Nara Prefectural Museum of Folklore to learn about local traditions and customs
- Take a hike through the beautiful Mount Wakakusa
- Visit the Kasuga-taisha Shrine Museum to see the shrine’s collection of ancient artifacts
- Explore the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art to see works by local and international artists
- Take a walk through the Nara Prefectural Folk Museum to learn about local history and culture
- Visit the Nara Prefectural Ceramic Museum to see the local ceramics industry in action